The present invention relates to a network apparatus which can deal with information such as image information by mobile terminals, process and store the information, and reproduce continuously the information.
In the prior art, in order to reproduce continuously moving picture information of the Internet by a terminal, compressed information is transferred to a memory of the terminal and then transferred information is expanded on the memory of the terminal to reproduce the moving picture there since the Internet does not allow real-time communication. In the event that the moving picture information is transferred piece by piece, the image information is reproduced according to such a method that, when reproduction of the image information is completed up to the transferred image portion, the succeeding image information is received sequentially and then reproduced. Therefore, it has been impossible to achieve continuous reproduction of the image information while the image information is being received.
In addition, the screens of the image information vary in size for each different content. Therefore, the size of the screens of the terminal has been taken into account.
However, in the image information transmission system in the prior art, there has been the problem that the continuous reproduction of the image information cannot be achieved as described above. Furthermore, in order to reproduce the moving picture information for a long time by the mobile terminal, there has been another problem that a high performance CPU and a large capacity memory must be prepared to execute the image processing at a high speed.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above problems in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a network apparatus which is capable of achieving continuous reproduction of the image information by processing the information being supplied from the Internet or the mobile network into the information which is suitable for the mobile terminal, then storing processed information into the storage unit, and then transmitting the image information every unit time to continue the reading timing, without a high performance CPU and a large capacity memory in a mobile terminal.
The present invention can overcome the above problems as described in the following.
1. In order to overcome the above problems, the present invention provides a network apparatus for communicating multi-media information by mobile terminals, comprising an Internet interface means for establishing an interface with the Internet; a mobile interface means for establishing an interface with a mobile network; a protocol processing means for applying a protocol process to information which is processed by the Internet interface means and the mobile interface means; an image information edit processing means for editing image information which is extracted by the protocol processing means into image information suitable for a mobile communication; a storage unit for storing the image information which is edited by the image information edit processing means; and a storage unit controlling means for controlling to store the image information in the storage unit and to read the stored image information.
2. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the image information which is transmitted/received in respective interfaces of the Internet interface means, the mobile interface means, the protocol processing means, the image information edit processing means, and the storage unit controlling means is communicated in a cellulated format.
3. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the mobile interface means includes a mobile protocol reception processing means for receiving information from the mobile network and then informing the protocol processing means, a mobile protocol transmission processing means for transmitting information from the protocol processing means and information from the storage unit controlling means to the mobile network via a transmission process, and a transmission timing control processing means for informing the storage unit controlling means of a transmission timing so as to transmit the image information continuously every unit time, whereby continuous reproduction of the image information for the mobile network can be achieved.
4. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the Internet interface means includes an Internet protocol reception processing means for performing a communication process of the information received from the Internet and then informing the protocol processing means, and an Internet protocol transmission processing means for transmitting the information received from the protocol processing means to the Internet, and also includes an interface for cellulating the information to communicate communication information and the image information when the Internet protocol reception processing means and the Internet protocol transmission processing means communicate with the protocol processing means.
5. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the protocol processing means includes an Internet protocol address analysis processing means for determining that the information from the Internet interface means corresponds to either communication information or the image information, an image information protocol processing means for executing a protocol process of the image information from the Internet protocol address analysis processing means, a data reproduction processing means for processing the image information which is protocol-processed by the image information protocol processing means to reproduce original information, and a communication network protocol processing means for protocol-processing the information supplied to the Internet and the mobile network. The image information protocol processing means has a communication processing function for executing the communication to transmit/receive the image information to/from the mobile network and a communication processing function for fetching the image information from the Internet. The data reproduction processing means has a function for expanding compressed image information and a function for processing image information of a still picture and a moving picture. The image information protocol processing means has a communication processing function for communicating the image information in the form of a split communication in the communication with the content server in which the image information of the Internet is stored.
6. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the image information edit processing means includes a reproduced data storage unit for storing the image information reproduced by the protocol processing means, a received data managing means for managing writing/reading of reproduced data into/from the reproduced data storage unit, and a reproduced data editing means for editing the reproduced data read from the reproduced data storage unit into a format which is suitable for the mobile terminal.
7. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the reproduced data editing means has a function for editing the image information according to type of the mobile terminal which executes the communication via the mobile network, a function for editing a size of the image into a format suitable for the mobile terminal by thinning the information from the reproduced data, and a function for editing the image information into the format suitable for the mobile terminal by converting the color information of the reproduced data into mono-chrome information.
8. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the storage unit controlling means includes an edit data split processing means for splitting edited information edited by the image information edit processing means into cellulated information to write it into the storage unit, a storage unit managing means for managing reading process/writing process from/into the storage unit, a data storage processing means for instructing the storage unit managing means on writing of split data edited by the edit data split processing means, and a data read processing means for instructing the storage unit managing means on reading in response to a reading timing instruction issued from the mobile interface means.
9. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the edit data split processing means includes an image information buffer for storing edited data from the image information edit processing means, and an information cellulating means for cellulating the edited data stored in the image information buffer.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above points 1 to 9, especially to protocol-process the information from the Internet or the mobile network, extract the image information from the information being protocol-processed, then edit the extracted image information to meet with the mobile communication, then store the edited image information in the storage unit, and then transmit the timing instruction to read the stored edited information continuously every unit time so as to allow the continuous reproduction of the image information. Therefore, the image information can be continuously reproduced in the mobile network.
10. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the mobile protocol reception processing means includes a reception buffer for storing the information from the mobile network, and an information cellulating means for cellulating the information stored in the reception buffer. The mobile protocol reception processing means cellulates the information in answer to the rates of a plurality of interfaces according to the reception buffer.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above 10, especially to process the image information in the interface located between the processing means by converting them into the cell format such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). Therefore, it is possible to achieve a higher speed transmission in processing the information and a large capacity of switching capability, both of which are required to deal with a large quantity of image information, such as with the network apparatus, and to communicate the image information between a large number of mobile terminals.
11. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, the mobile protocol transmission processing means includes an asynchronous information processing means for processing asynchronous communication information from the protocol processing means, a synchronous information processing means for processing synchronous image information from the storage unit controlling means, a transmission buffer for transmitting the information to the mobile network, and an information write controlling means for controlling writing the image information from the synchronous information processing means into the transmission buffer prior to communication information being transmitted from the asynchronous information processing means. Also, the mobile protocol transmission processing means has a function for processing the communication to correspond to rates of a plurality of interfaces.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above point number 11, especially to distinguish the communication information into the image information necessary for the continuous reproduction of the moving picture information and the communication information, then to handle the image information as the preferential information and the communication information as the non-preferential information so as to achieve the continuous reproduction of the image information, then to transmit the non-preferential information between transmissions of preferential information, whereby the preferential information can be transmitted preferentially to the mobile network. Therefore, there can be achieved the network apparatus and the network communication method which can accomplish the continuous reproduction of the image information.
12. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, a network apparatus comprises a mobile interface means for establishing an interface with a mobile network in communication with the mobile network; a protocol processing means for processing protocol of information supplied from the mobile terminal and processed by the mobile interface means; a storage unit for storing image information; and a storage unit controlling means for controlling to read image information stored in the storage unit; wherein the image information read from the storage unit is supplied constantly to the mobile network to deliver broadcast.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above point number 12, especially to read the information being stored in the storage unit in compliance with the reading timing instructed by the mobile interface means. Therefore, there can be achieved the network apparatus and the network communication method which can provide a broadcasting function by which the information can always be kept to send to the mobile network.
13. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, a network apparatus comprises a mobile interface means for establishing an interface with a mobile network for communication with the mobile network; a protocol processing means for processing protocol of image information from the mobile terminal; an image information edit processing means for editing the image information into edited information suitable for the mobile terminal; a storage unit for storing the edited information; and a storage unit controlling means for controlling storing the edited information into the storage unit and reading stored edited information; wherein the image information is communicated between the mobile terminals.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above point number 13, especially to edit the image information, which is supplied from the mobile terminal, into the edited information, which is suitable for the different types of mobile terminals, by the image information edit processing means, then to store the edited information in the storage unit, and then to transmit the edited information to other mobile terminals, such as when the image information is communicated from the Internet. Therefore, there can be achieved the network apparatus and the network communication method which can implement the communication of the image information between the mobile terminals.
14. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, a network apparatus comprises a mobile interface means for establishing an interface with a mobile network for communication with the mobile network; a protocol processing means for processing protocol of image information from the mobile terminal; an image information conversion processing means for converting the image information into a common image information format; a storage unit for storing converted image information; a storage unit controlling means for controlling storing the image information into the storage unit and reading stored image information; and an image information custom processing means for editing the image information read from the storage unit into the image information which is suitable for respective mobile terminals; wherein the image information can be communicated between different types of mobile terminals.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above point number 14, especially to convert the image information into the image information in the common image information format, then to store it in the storage unit, and then to convert the stored image information in the common image information format into the image information in each format for each respective terminal when the image information is transmitted to the mobile network. Therefore, there can be achieved the network apparatus and the network communication method in which the image information being stored once can be utilized again because it is not affected by the image information format in the network and thus they can be achieved as the communicating function between the mobile terminals and the broadcasting function.
15. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, a network apparatus comprises a mobile interface means for establishing an interface with a mobile network in communication with the mobile network; a protocol processing means for processing protocol of image information from the mobile terminal; a storage unit for storing the image information in a common image information format; a storage unit controlling means for controlling storing the image information into the storage unit and reading stored image information; and an image information custom processing means for editing the image information read from the storage unit into the image information which is suitable for respective mobile terminals.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above point number 15, especially to convert the image information in the common image information format from the storage unit into the image information in each format handled by each terminal by the image information custom processing means when the image information is transmitted to the mobile network. Therefore, there can be achieved the network apparatus and the network communication method which can achieve the broadcasting function.
16. In order to overcome the above problems, in the present invention, a network apparatus for communicating multi-media information by mobile terminals, comprises an Internet interface means for establishing an interface with the Internet; a mobile interface means for establishing an interface with a mobile network; a protocol processing means for processing protocol of information which is processed by the Internet interface means and the mobile interface means; an image information conversion processing means for converting the image information extracted by the protocol processing means into a common image information format; a storage unit for storing the image information converted by the image information conversion processing means; a storage unit controlling means for controlling storing the image information into the storage unit and reading stored image information; and an image information custom processing means for editing and processing the image information read by the storage unit controlling means to perform a mobile communication.
The present invention can be constructed as set forth in the above point number 16 and especially there can be provided the network apparatus and the network communication method, which can reuse the image information being stored once in the storage unit by converting the image information into the common image information format by the image information conversion processing means and then storing the converted image information in the storage unit since the image information is not affected by the image information format in the network, and also can achieve the communicating function between the mobile terminals and the broadcasting function by converting the image information stored in the storage unit in the common image information format into the image information in the formats being handled by respective terminals by the image information custom processing means when the image information is transmitted to the mobile network, and also can achieve continuous reproduction of the image information for the mobile network since the mobile interface means can inform the storage unit controlling means of the reading timing instruction for the stored edited information continuously every unit time to allow the continuous reproduction of the image information.